Footprints In The Sand
by Leahlovessalvatore124
Summary: Elena's forever buried feelings for Damon rush to the surface,and when they arrive alone at the beach,one thing leads to another,and Elena must make a decision that will change everything - the seductively dangerous Damon,or the kind and caring Stefan?
1. Chapter 1 The Ray Bans!

**A/N: Okay, I just had this idea of Delena on a beach holiday, and I just had to write it, so I hope you like it! It's going to have more chapters, and I've already written about seven, so the faster you review and let me know what you think, the faster I'll update! Thanks for all the support and thanks for reading – enjoy – Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries, the characters etc, or any songs or films featured in this story - Leahlovessalvatore124 xx!**

Chapter One – Jealousy

I know everyone is going to show up later, but I still feel jittery about going to the beach with Damon. Me and Stefan had argued about it for hours, and now he isn't talking to me. Just thinking about it makes me feel a raging case of diarrhoea coming on.

I throw on my short cut summer dress, move my hair around my shoulders and apply a little bronzer and lip-balm. Looking in the mirror, I wonder why the heck I even bother to look good. It isn't for Damon...is it? I began to feel real guilty. My stomach churns and I rush to the bathroom, I lean over the sink and feel strong arms around me, pulling my hair back from my face.

"You sure you wanna go Elena?" I know it's Damon, and I have no idea why, but I breathe a sigh of relief and give in to him.

"Yeah. Not gonna ditch you am I?" I insist as he carries me to my bed. I'm surprised he doesn't collapse under my weight, I feel like such a beached whale. But then again, he is strong and he does have some fit muscles...

"Well...we could stay at mine and play doctors and nurses." He smiles seductively, and my brain turns to jelly.

"I think I'll pass." I say breathlessly, and I'm a little dizzy as I try and get up. Damon puts his hands around my waist, guiding me across the room. I shiver, and I know he notices. I look at his face and I see him smirking.

"Don't get too cocky, your head's big enough as it is." I snort, suddenly feeling a whole lot better as I aimlessly sprint to his car, but he magically appears like superman, which makes my head spin as I randomly think about Damon in tight blue Lycra and a red cape with the superman quiff.

I look like a drunk moron as I stagger to the jag. Damon jumps in and flicks a switch. I wait for my vision to clear as he starts the engine and sets onto the dirt road ahead of us.

"What beach are we going to?" I say into the comfortable silence. I manage to talk steady, but my heart keeps on flipping like a bloody banana boat.

"Patience is a virtue, Elena." He tutted, smiling at me.

"One that you know I don't have." I hear my voice sound all flirty and I feel my face go all beet as I flush bright red like a freakin' tomato. I let the cool breeze from the window cool my face. I fish my sunnies from my purse, and are about to put them on when Damon laughs.

"_You_ stole my glasses."

I frown. What in hell is he talking about?

"I did not!" My voice goes all squeaky, and I sound like a little kid.

"Did too!" He mimics me and I can't help but giggle. Damon takes a hand off the wheel and slides them off my face. He shows me the initials **D.S** carved into the side of the black Ray Bans and I cringe. Stefan was the one who had given them to me..right after we'd had that fight...was I being set up by my own 'boyfriend'?

"Technically, Stefan stole them." I say, taking them from him. He tries to get them back but I slap his hand playfully.

"Elena, Give them back!" He pouts.

I lean towards him, so close our lips almost brush. I want to kiss him and his brilliant blue eyes flash sexily.

"Not a chance." I whisper, resting back into the seat, I laugh like a manic, but somehow I feel nervous. If he does that eye thing again, I don't think I will be able to resist.

"You know Elena, it's getting reeeally easy to hate you right now." He says, drawing the word out.

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry." I tease as he turns the corner. He pretends to look all sad and vulnerable. It pulls at my heart strings and I almost fall for it. Our eyes are glued to each other's and I manage to tear mine away as he pulls into a small space between two palm trees. I stumble so fast out of the car that I trip over. Immediately Damon's there, and I laugh as I pull him down onto the sand with me and leave him there.

A great blue sky arches above me, stretching over everything. I start sprinting towards the sea that flickers as the light bounces off of it with my flip flops in one hand. I look to see Damon beside me, we say nothing, but just link hands and run towards it, snow white sand tosses under our feet, and the wind whips my hair behind me.

I'm too busy enjoying myself to notice the fat brown rock in-front of me, and I end up sprawled on the floor eating sand as I trip right over it and fall flat on my face, pulling a surprised looking Damon with me. I spit out the dirt from my mouth, and the rotten vampire's laughing at me. I try to get up to whack him with my shoe, but he sticks his foot out and this time I fall on top of him. Our legs are intertwined, and as I untangle myself, I don't even have to look at him to know he's got that sly sexy smirk plastered all over his face.

"Poor Stefi is missing out on all the fun. Which I must say I am enjoying incredibly." He winks as I push myself off his chest with my fingers tingling like they're on fire, and just as I stand up I hear a snap. I lift my foot. Uh oh. The Ray Bans!

I squeal and run down to the little wooden pier, rip off my dress and dive into the water head first. In my bikini. Oh shit.

When the water surrounds me I can still hear Damon calling.

"Now you are just begging to be chased!"

I breast-stroke as fast as I can, and I see a yacht someone must have untied about a metre or so out. I take one last gulp of air before swimming towards it. I watch from the sea-bed as a huge wave rolls in sounding like thunder above me, over-turning the small boat and pushing it a bit closer. I feel like my lungs are about to burst and I kick as hard as I can, surfacing underneath the yacht. It was like a little hideaway tent thing on the surface of the water. I lean back with my arms behind my head, my legs moving just slightly so that I could stop myself from floating under. The sea is crystalline, and I know Damon is probably watching me right now, he'd probably seen where I am and is planning to attack any second...

I poke my head out.

To the left.

To the right.

All clear.

I feel like The Little Mermaid, Ariel, when she's in the water looking for Eric, except Damon's not _my_ Eric. I feel a twinge of jealousy and I frown. What the heck was that all about? I gulp. Deep down I know, I just don't want to admit it.

**Bump.**

I hear a thud right above me, and it scares me half to death.

_Calm down Elena!_ I tell myself. _It's just probably some stupid seagull bird thingy._

I snort.

_Yeah, right! That's probably what that dude said when Jaws was banging on __**his**__ boat, and where is he now? Yeah, exactly, he is fish food. _Now I was freaking out so much I was actually having arguments with, yep, you guessed it, myself?

I move away from the side that was banging, but it's no use, the noise just follows me.

**Bump. Bump.**

Okay, now I am just feeling plain freaked out.

**Bump. Bump. Bump.**

I wish Damon was here.

**Splash!**

**A/N: Sooo, what do you think is gonna happen? I can guarantee there will be some Delena action in the next chappy..okay..just forget that I said that.**

**Damon: "Need some help?"**

**Leah: "Er..no thanks." (Looks scared crapless)**

**Damon: "Humans these days! So rude, yet so tasty! Shame she wasn't O Negative." (Rolls eyes and skulks off like the sexy beast that he is.)**

**Anyway, as I was saying, please review, tell me what you think and if I should carry on – Leahlovessalvatore124!**


	2. Chapter 2 Twilight Nut

**A/N: Wow guys! I really wasn't expecting people to read it but, there you go, I was wrong! Thanks to xXSpreadTheLoveXx who reads loads of my stories you are soo awesome thank you so much, and also to delenaforever1997, thank you – Leahlovessalvatore124!**

Chapter Two – Twilight Nut

My breathing comes thick and fast, and my heart hammers in my chest.

Something hard pulls my ankle, drags me under. Cool salt water fills up my lungs and envelopes my throat. I can feel myself choking as they pulled me further under. I thrash around, kick at anything I can, and at the corners of my vision, I see a head of midnight black hair smirking. I manage to calm down, and I rub my neck, trying to mouth words at him, to tell him I can't breathe. All of a sudden, Damon looks scared, and in a flash he has his arms around me, zipping me up to the surface, he turns the boat back over and gently lifts me in.

I smile. He is soo sweet and he looks totally like a hot mess right now. Water drips from his black hair, from his lashes. God, he is so topless...and so gorgeous...his six pack is speckled with water, and the sun shines off of it, making it sparkle like jewels.

I laugh on the edge of my hysteria.

"Y..you..l..look..like Edward." God, why am I such a Twilight nut? I use the last of my breath, and I feel my eyes roll back into my head. I bet I look like a psychic loon job. I can't really move much, but I can feel. All I feel right now is cold.

"Elena, Elena, I'm so sorry, please..please..don't..." He mutters, and I vow to myself I am going to bring this up later. What the heck am I thinking? If he doesn't get himself the hell together there won't be a freakin' later! I can feel my heart slowing down, feel myself slipping away. This is not how I'd envisioned my death to be like.

I know he is gripping my hand in his. I try so hard to get my mind to focus by squeezing it gently, and then he knows. Right now, he is the only person who can save me, who I need. I instantaneously feel his hands on my chest by my breasts, pumping it and doing CPR. I know what's coming next.

"One..two..three." Damon's lips feel warm and moist on mine as he breathes air into me, and I can't help but imagine what it would be like to actually, properly, kiss him. Part of me knows I am being disloyal, even by thinking about it, but I just can't help myself. Plus, I really don't want to die right now, seeing as the last thing I will have ever said to him will be me fantasizing about him and R-Patz.

"Four..five..six." And then he is on my mouth again. Even in my blurred state, I can tell he tastes good. Like sexy black magic and forbidden love. He's concentrating, and if I don't live he will be crushed. But I will wake up. I can feel my heart beating out to an almost steady rhythm that had moments ago just been whispering away. I feel wetness dripping on me, but despite his tears, I know he's not going to ever give up.

"Seven...Eight..N.."

"Okay, okay, you can kiss me now." I find myself saying as my eyes flutter open and I cough out water.

Damon thinks I'm joking, but I'm not, and finally when he sees it in my eyes, his widen in surprise. Before I can blink, his lips are crushing urgently onto mine, and there is no hesitation. His ringed hand caressing my face, whilst his other hand is encircling around my waist, and he pulls me into him. For so long I'd tried to resist, tried to ignore the pure lust that burned like a fire between us, to try to resist him, but all it had done was to make the pull so much stronger. I'd tried to kid myself into believing we were just friends, that there had been nothing there. How very wrong I had been. I'd been such an idiot. Putting on an act I had broken Damon's heart so many times, hurt his feelings, but now I am through with pretending, and I feel so bad knowing he'd been right all along, and I hadn't listened. But now I realise. He is my weakness, and I am his.

I open my eyes to see that like mine, his had been shut, but they are now open. Even the slightest twitch he is attuned to me completely. His sharp sky blue eyes are filled with such passion, that it makes me weak at the knees, and I feel myself beginning to faint. They glimmer with excitement and amusement as he chuckles and catches me. We are both nearly oblivious to the sound of tyres crunching against the ground, and doors sliding open. My eyes are staying hooked on the finger he puts to my lips, and he smirks flirtatiously. We both lower our bodies onto the floor of the boat, pressed against each other, it feels good to just be with him. My head is partly rested on his toned bare chest, and his left arm is still wrapped around me. There is that instant connection that we have, and that I know me and Stefan never had and never will have. He leans in and kisses me ever so softly and sweetly like he's scared I might break. Damon starts shifting his weight and moves so he is on top of me, our bodies just touching as we breathe together like one single being. Everything I'm feeling, he feels, and that includes the furious beating of my heart as it jumps madly like a bunny on steroids. I say the one thing that I've been waiting to say to him for so long now. I brush a random hair away from his eyes, and they close when I touch his face, putting a hand to his cheek.

"Damon Salvatore..I'm in love with you."

I smile at him, and feel such a rush of emotions that I think I'm gonna burst with happiness.

"And the truth will out..finally." Damon whispers into my ear, and I giggle quietly as he kisses it. He's about to descend his lips onto mine, but I poke my head just slightly over the boat. Crap! Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, Alaric and yes, Stefan, have all arrived on the beach from the car that had just pulled up, and were all too busy setting up picnic blankets and food to even bother to see us when we'd been so obviously making-out in plain eye-sight. And to be utterly honest, the only thing on my mind right now is, well..Damon, seeing as he is, well..on me. Damon runs his hands down my body and I shiver. They go to un-latch my bikini bra.

"Easy, tiger." I whisper, playfully slapping them away. I want to more than anything, just as much as he does, which is obviously a lot, but I can tell he isn't the one who feels all the guilt. I squeeze his hand, and he understands why we can't, not now.

"Little brother, why do you always have to get in the way?" He whispers, intertwining our fingers, he checks to see if they are looking, and when the coast is clear, we both jump into the water, with me giggling like an idiot.

**A/N: Thanks again! Please review if you have time (pretty please with a cherry on top and some of them little multi-coloured sprinkles and whipped cream) I heart you guys! By the way, I'm going to Liverpool tomorrow for a while, so I won't be able to update for about five days, so I'm going to update again tonight and carry on writing for the 8 hour coach journey (yawn) happy summer holidays everyone – or happy school days if you're back to school (cringe) – hope you liked it – Leahlovessalvatore124!**


	3. Chapter 3 Ugly Hob  Goblin

**A/N: Okay, so I'm hopeless at waiting, so I decided to update sooner..soonish..whatever.**

**A big fat high five and maybe some Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (yum I love me some BJ's) if you're lucky, to all you gorgeous people out there who have been reading (Gold Vamp – you are so awesome – Charmed And Deadly – I know that name from somewhere.. :D you are totally fab – and AussieStar thank you heaps, everyone is brilliant) !**

**(passes round an imaginary giant tub of Ice Cream and high fives everyone)**

**Enjoy – Leahlovessalvatore124!**

Chapter Three – Ugly Hob-Goblin

We stay holding hands as we swim, and I couldn't help but smile. Today had turned out so.._weird_. We swim past loads of multi-coloured fish, and tiny little ones that look like Nemo and Dory (yes, okay, I give, I'm a total sucker for practically any Disney movie there is..well, okay High School Musical is the only exception, I cringed so much, but Troy's deep blue eyes and muscles had me drooling, literally, but even I have to admit, Zac isn't a patch on my Damon..or Stefan..jeesh). Even though it's hurting to open my eyes underwater, after a while, I am getting used to it. Surrounding us are loads of little clams that open and shut to the current, and beautiful rainbow colours of the coral and sea anemones. I know we have to go back to shore soon, but neither of us want to. I don't want to have to face Stefan in-front of everyone, I figure I will talk to him tonight, alone. I know Bonnie won't like it one bit, but I can't exactly help who I fall in love with.

We don't want to get discovered yet, so we paddle gently back to the boat that we tip over, which has kinda become our new head-quarters. I take a deep breath of sea air as we break the surface, and a question hits me smack between the eyes.

"Was it you who was banging on the boat?" I ask him, and even before he says anything I already know the answer. Damon avoids my steely eyes, looking so fake-guilty that it cracks me up.

"Maybe.." He says, breaking off mid-sentence as I let myself sink underwater. Damon's about to come down for me when I spring back up, splashing him with water.

"You did not just do that." He spits out, sounding so sexy and menacing, that if I wasn't bobbing almost up to my mouth in water, I definitely would have dribbled like an ugly hob-goblin (don't even get me started on Gollum from Lord Of The Rings, it so gave me nightmares). I try to swim away, but I'm such a hopeless case, he has me caught in a second.

He tickles me silly, and I'm kicking so much, I have the boat rocking above us.

"You are pathetic at hiding, and absolutely pathetic at getting away." His hands are everywhere, tickling me all over my body. Is there no place he can't reach?

I snort. His attempts at being serious have me going hysterical. I am soo mad, I wonder how the hell he manages to love me.

"O..okay..okay..I..I..give." I say surrendering. If he doesn't stop now I think I'm going to pee myself.

"Are you sure?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Y..yes." I stutter and nod. He was so gonna wish he hadn't done that. I move around and fill my mouth with sea water. It tastes rank, but it would be worth it. I turn back to him so fast he is un- prepared as I spurt water into his eyes, probably looking like one of them pointless fish water fountain thingies.

I swim-sprint back to the little pier where the other car is parked, I guess it's Caroline's, judging by the personalized number plate that reads F0RB3S, which I think is kinda cool, I know Damon will probably think it's tacky and roll his eyes. I slide into my summer dress that I'd grabbed on my way, and leave my hair to dry around my shoulders. I look at my reflection in the car window. Why is it that whenever I go swimming I always end-up looking like a fluffy raccoon? I mutter to myself, and slip on my shoes. I go to walk over to everyone, when I suddenly find myself pinned against the car with Damon's hand over my mouth. I'm wondering how he got changed so fast, he looks so hot in his black leather jacket I think I'm gonna die.

_Don't scream._ he mouths at me. _It's a little late for that now isn't it?_ I telegraph with my eyes. He takes his hand off of my mouth. I know he's going to kiss me, but I shake my head. _They're just over there_! I mouth. Damon smirks. _I know._ He mouths, cocky, and closes the distance between our lips with a kiss, his hands on my face and my fingers in his hair. I know what he's trying to do. Trying to show me who's boss, that he will have me any time and any place. Well, I am going to show him. I break apart from him, still breathless from the intensity of the kiss, and I know without having to look that my lips are red and a little swollen. Just as he's about to land one on me again, I call my brother.

"Hey Jeremy!"

I can see through the car window, Jeremy as he rears up and makes his way towards where my voice is coming from.

"Hey sis!" He says, leaning on the car.

"Get your hands off of my baby Gilbert!" I hear Caroline shout.

"Okay, okay," He raises his hands in the air. "anyways..where have you guys been?" My brother looks at me questioningly. Eyeing my wet hair, he knows I've been swimming, but is probably wondering why I've been such a long time. He is right to be suspicious. And I am right to feel so uncontrollably guilty that I think I might crap myself.

"Spying on you, silly!" I say, a little too quickly, and I start to link arms with him and walk to the others. I wink at Damon and he narrows his eyes at me. I know he's gonna get his revenge on me later, and whether or not I will enjoy it is a different matter..

**A/N: Going to update later too hopefully!**

**Damon: "You'd better, I want my revenge!"**

**Leah: "Do you also want some Vervain dart and wooden bullets?"**

**Damon: (Shakes head and whimpers looking totally freaked out.)**

**Leah: "Well shut the hell up then!"**

**Leah: (Turns back to talk to readers.)**

**Damon: (Creeps up behind her smiling slyly and snaps her neck)**

**Damon: "Mwa hahahaha!" (Laughs like the mad vampire he is and skulks off like a big-headed idiot.)**


	4. Chapter 4 Thinking Of You

**A/N: Here you go like I promised, and hopefully when I get back my next chapter will be bad-ass!**

**Thanks to couturegal109, (once again to) GoldenVamp and all of you guys who read this, you are great – Leahlovessavatore124!**

Chapter Four – Thinking Of You

Everybody's chilling under two small canopies, apart from Stefan, who's reading a book, and Bonnie, who's blasting out 'Thinking Of You' By Katy _Perry_, and singing along with Caroline, who's half reading a magazine. I know they're my friends, but I have to say, they sound like two strangled foxes. I slide in between them, and join in singing as we wave our hands in the air around the little camp fire they've built, and it's only then that I realise how long me and Damon had been alone in the water sucking face.

Everyone starts to sing, except I stop when we get to the chorus, and me and Damon both know why.

"_Cause when I'm with him, I am,_

_Thinking of you_

_Thinking of you._

_What you would do if,_

_You were the one, who was,_

_Spending the night._

_Oh I wish that I,_

_Was looking into your..eyes._"

I feel as if I have the word 'guilty' plastered all over my forehead. A single tear falls from my eye and down my face, and it shines like a amber jewel in the fire light. Damon leans forward to wipe it off with his thumb, and all of a sudden, it feels like the whole world is still spinning around me and him, and no-one seems to notice that we're both stuck together in our own little bubble. I am definitely going to have to tell Stefan. I can't drag it out like this. It's hurting me and more importantly, it's hurting Damon, and I can't beare to hurt him anymore than I know I already have, seeing Stefan with his arms around me, I can see he's so tense he's grinding his teeth and glaring at his brother. I try to untangle myself, but his arms wind even tighter around me.

"Stef.."

"She can't breathe, you moron." Damon snapped, just about managing to contain his growl.

Stefan releases me and I cough a little, ending up spread-eagled and sprawled out on the sand looking like I just tripped over my own knickers (which I swear are _not_ around my ankles, no matter how much of a crapped up slut I feel like right now).

"What's got your black silk boxers in a bunch?" Stefan sneered at Damon, and Caroline and Bonnie cackle like a couple of witches still wearing their bikini's, even though it's nearly midnight. I can tell this isn't going to end well.

"At least I'm not going Commando." Damon starts to get mad, and his eyes flash wildly. If only I can just get to him, I can make him calm down..But I know it's not that easy, and I realise that as I watch Damon get up and storm angrily away from the group like a sexy black panther (jeesh, I really think I'm going crazy). My heart sinks with a sickening thud.

"Sorry babe." Stefan says, going to kiss me, but I reject him, push him away, and start to get up to go after the brother I love, but Stefan takes my hand, stopping me. I feel like such a prize ho-bag. I gasp. I feel like Katherine. I recoil from his touch, and his hand drops like I just burnt him. Caroline and Bonnie look at me like I'm some kind of loon, their mouths drop wide open like those freaky Dementors from Harry Potter (oh no, here I go again with my weird movie obsessions). They can sense something on their girl-dar.


	5. Chapter 5 Scared As A Turkey

**A/N: Just as I promised! I'm back from good ol' Scouseland with a three page chapter for you lucky duckies (: am I drunk? I hope not..**

**Reviews = Fast Update**

**I missed you guys soo much – Leahlovessalvatore124 xx!**

Chapter Five – Scared As A Turkey

I know he doesn't want to be followed, so I head in the opposite direction, pushing past the rough leaves of the palm trees that hang down, scratching at my face and swaying in the breeze.

I carry on running as I check to see if anyone's following me. I cry out in pain, as I trip over the same rock me and Damon had tripped over earlier. I wince when it nicks my ankle, doubling over in pain, I stagger backwards, falling real awkwardly over a second little rock behind me. I can't stop myself. My hands are clutching my leg, and my head hits it, and this time I can't bring myself to bother hiding the screams. Agony sears me, white hot and excruciating, as if someone has got a boiling poker and is starting to torture me with it, dragging it across my skin, going deeper and deeper still. I know what I will see, even before I look down. A fat puckered gash, oozing blood that's split right open, and runs from the bottom of my knee to the top of my ankle. I gently ease the the sides of the cut apart, crippling over at the rippling layers of muscle, fat and sinew that pile up with blood as I poke at it. Great. Now I'm gonna have a great big freakin' ugly scar for falling straight on my ass. Again. And now I remember what else I'd hit. My head. Squinting against the pain, I gingerly press a finger to the place just above my eyebrow, and gasp at the cut that runs into my scalp on the left side of my head. Fantastic. Now I'm gonna look like Harry Potter. I groan and just lay on the ground, surrounding myself in puddles of my own blood and tears, I randomly consider making a bloody-sand angel, I sob and feel upset for Damon, and for myself, and also for the fact that nothing in my life hardly ever goes right.

It's about five minutes or so into my self-pity-sob-fest when I hear sand crunch behind me, and someone's arms find me, except I know it isn't the ones I've been hoping for. I close my eyes against the sudden horrid numbness that surrounds me, and I know it's Stefan. In the far corners of my mind I can register the worried tone of his voice, but I don't really have the strength to care.

"Elena! What happened?" I can hear him taking off his shirt, dabbing it to my wounds, and to be honest, I'm not feeling even the slightest urge to look at his six pack whatsoever.

"Fell, tripped, fell again, did some self-grovelling to God." I croak, and laugh hysterically, trying to make the best out of this mess of a bad situation, just like I always do. I flop on the sand like a battered Mars-bar out of water..does that even make sense, or am I just plain delirious?

"God Elena." I hear him mutter, and he pulls my battered head into his lap, I hear flesh tearing, and feel something wet and hard being placed onto my lips. I feel some wetness dripping into my mouth.

"Drink." He orders.

Heck no, I know what it is. I rear up coughing and spit it out on the ground. There is no way in hell that I am going to drink his blood. I shake my head from side to side, now was the time I was finally saying no. He's probably thinking I'm too out of it to think straight, because I can see that look on his face.

"I can't." I whisper weakly, opening my eyes like a little baby deer (preferably Bambi, that film is so awesome) and bowing my head, I feel so ashamed of myself. I feel my strength just dripping away with every drop of blood that is leaving my body. He looks confused, but Stefan is a good listener, and he can sense I have something to say, something important, so he moves away from me as I prop myself up on the little gory rock, and try not to make myself feel even worse than I already feel. No secrets. He deserves the truth, and I am not going to bail out. I start to tremble. I'm already about to bleed to death, and now I have to tell my vampire 'boyfriend' that I'm sorta (I am) cheating on him, and if I'm not already dead by the end of my explanation, he might well kill me. What a joke.

"I can't do this anymore, Stefan. I've been lying to myself, but I've also been lying..to you." I muster up the courage to go on. I can feel my voice starting to shake, tears starting to fall. I don't want to look at him, and I can't bring myself to either. This would be so much easier if only Damon were here beside me, everything would be okay. But he isn't. I am dealing with this on my own. I don't have a clue how to phrase 'sorry I'm in love with your brother', in the 'nicest' way possible.

Ideas anyone?

The nerves are starting to get to me. My stomach churns. Now is not a good time to get nervous diarrhoea..

I think I may need to slap myself.

"I've been feeling the way I am for a while now, but I didn't realise, and I was scared to choose the right path." I pick my words carefully, and hesitantly his hand into mine, and take a deep breath.

"What I'm trying to say, is that us being together is not the right path for me anymore." He snatches back his hand from my grasp, and moves even further away from me. I glimpse his eyes turn black, as he shakes like a mad jelly. All of a sudden, the atmosphere is starting to feel extremely threatening, and to be honest it is starting to creep me out. My heart thunders in my chest, and my palms are going sweaty, I am nervous about his reaction, nervous about what he will say.

"How...could you..dump me..after everything I have done for you?" He growls out, his temper in full blown rage, his voice sounds deep and evil. Now I feel real scared. I have never seen him like this, and it's frightening.

"I'm sorry, but it is just the way I feel..I can't help it. I know that now." I whisper. Mr Stroppy Pants isn't the reaction I'd been expecting. But then again, how am I of all people to judge what to expect, and what not to?

"And what about how _I _feel?" The tension's rising in the air, and I almost freeze in the awkwardness of the moment. I muffle a scoff. _So now he's being selfish? _I gulp, instantly regretting that thought, thinking about just how selfish I had been today.

"I care about how you feel, but just..not in that way anymore." I mumble. I am such a horridious cow.

"No, no, see, you do, you still love me, I _know_ you do!" He shouted, anger seethes in his words as he grips hold of my head tightly in his hands, so tight that I think it might explode. Blood drips from my head down my face. He's in denial. Either that, or I was the only thing keeping him sane.

"Pleas..Stefan. Don't make it harder than it already is!" I cry, trying to focus on something other than the throbbing pain in my skull and the salty water running from my eyes, everything matting in my hair. He removes his hands and starts pacing back and forth around me.

"Why." He whispers sullenly, so quiet that I think my mind is making things up (seriously it wouldn't be the first time).

"Pardon?" I ask, scared as a turkey.

"I said WHY!" Stefan growls into my ear, and he sounds a lot like he wants to kill me. The only person I want right now is...

"Damon." I whisper to myself un-intentionally. It is an accident, and even though it's quiet, I know he hears me. Shit. There is a pause in his strides, and his face leers in-front of mine, eyes alight with hellish savagery. Stefan's face twists.

"_He_, he did this to us. To what we have!" Some other random part of my mind that's most likely eating popcorn right now, sitting back and watching like this is just another normal episode of Glee is thinking:_ Corr blimey mate, what a Drama Queen._ Since when did I go all cockney? Cockney, that's a funny word. Cockney..cockney cockerel, Kelloggs cornflakes..corr..caw..caw..am I a bird? I can't remember! Is it a bird is it a plane, no it's.._SHUT UP!_

I swear I am one nut short of a coconut, and my mind fog is making me fuzzy.

I take another deep breath. Concentrate.

"No! I did this. What we _had_," I correct automatically. "Is already gone, Stefan, you need to accept that." I explain. An evil laugh erupts from his throat, and cold invisible fingers feel their way up my spine.

"Have you heard yourself? He is tearing us apart, it's what he wants!"

I've had enough of him trying to glue back broken pieces, trying to make everything right when it clearly isn't, and most importantly, blaming Damon for everything is starting to get the hell on my nerves.

"It's what _I_ want. _I_ kissed _him_." I snap. Woopsie daisy. Technically, he'd kissed me, but I was the one who had told him to, who had quite literally thrown myself at him like a hungry wet-rat woman.

"Excuse me?" He spits, his pupils flashing the colour of my spilt blood. Then everything is happening in slow motion. Stefan's fangs extend. Purple veins pulsate around his eyes. His hands come to lunge at me like claws, to grab me by the neck and throw me on the floor, but before his hands can go around me, he is the one being gripped by the neck.

"Touch her and I will rip your heart out."

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and alerted you guys are a whole new level of awesome! Sorry, I'm gonna have to stop the single thank you's, 'cause it's just going to drag out the A/N , unless you review of course...**

**The traffic-stats were unbelievable you guys are just soo..wow, I have run out of words!**

**Damon: "Oh, for crying out loud! I thought you were dead already!"**

**Leah: "Nope. I got me one big tacky rock on my finger. Sucka!" (Shows the magic black and silver ring that Alaric has too and runs off giggling hysterically)**

**Damon: "What does it take to let a guy break some neck round here!"**


	6. Chapter 6 Clearly I Had It Coming

**A/N: I'm back!**

**And I have HSM songs in my head, I know, annoying right?**

**And yes I am from the UK, does that really show in my writing? I never knew that, but I am as English as chip-buttie! Wait a sec..doesn't Liverpool say buttie? Hmm..ah well, on with the show..arieeeba (always wanted to say that)! Thank you to MJ McCaul and GoldenVamp for reviewing – Leahlovessalvatore124 – ooh, by the way, just watching Spider Man 2 on 5, and Daniel Gillies (Elijah 3) is soo smokin' hot!**

Chapter Six – Clearly I Had It Coming

I just about manage to stop myself from collapsing with relief. Hoorah! Hoorah! My mind sings to the heavens. Damon, my knight in shining black leather has arrived.

I watch with blurry vision as Stefan struggles in his grasp. I open my mouth to tell Damon to release him, but I can't make the words come out. He had been about to kill me, and now I have clearly gone into shock. Damon lifts his fist about to bash his face in, when air whooshes through my lungs, and I remember how to talk. I crawl to his side in a bloody mess, trying to put myself between the two of them. I touch his arm gently.

I feel so weak, I know I shouldn't have moved.

"It was an accident, and Stefan came to me, he must have smelt the blood. He didn't do much." I croak out. Damon raises his eyebrow. We can both hear the key word in that sentence. _Much_. Yeah, I know he had basically squished my scalp in and made blood pour down my face like a squishy marshmallow, but that was because I'd told him I love his brother, and he'd only done it out of anger.

I have no idea why I'm defending him.

Damon frowns for a moment, debating whether or not to 'kill' him, and releases his brother, but then decides against it, and slams Stefan's body into a nearby palm-tree for good measure. I watch as a couple of coconuts fall down and scatter around him. Stefan recovers quickly, and scalpers with his vamp-speed, probably scared of getting some major ass-kicking from his big bro.

I flop on the sand, exhausted. The edges of my vision start to go all grey and cotton-woolly, but the greyness doesn't descend, as Damon scoops me up into his arms. Now I'm wide awake.

I hear teeth tear into flesh, and I look up to see him biting into his wrist and holding it out to me. I hate it when he hurts himself.

"Please, Elena." He guides the wound to my mouth and I sucker-fish onto it like a little limpet. It's what we both want, for me to stay alive, and now that it's Damon's blood that's being offered to me, I no longer feel repulsed or guilty, as I had when Stefan had tried to force his blood onto me.

It's different with Damon. Now as I drink from him it's like we are somehow connected by an imaginary silver thread. I hear him sigh and moan, and I know he feels it too.

It does taste kinda weird, but it's also refreshing, and kinda exhilarating, to drink from someone you love and to have them save your life.

Being careful not to jostle me, he fazes to the little pier, and gently lays me down as he un-latches me from his arm. I move over so he can lay down beside me, and he does, taking me into his arms, as I rest my head on his chest. I'm about to open my mouth to say thank-you, but I look into his eyes, and he looks into mine, and I realise that he already knows, and that he already knows a bunch of other things too.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, and go to close my eyes, but his hand tilts up my chin so I have to look at him. We both know what I'm talking about. When I'd sat with Stefan today. All the times I'd crushed his spirit.

"I forgive you, Elena." He tells me, his voice rough with emotions. Just to hear him say that is a relief, he kisses my head, and rests his chin on my hair, holding me tightly like he's scared I might just disappear. After a while, he chuckles. I look up at him questioningly.

He shrugs.

"I knew I'd have you in the end."

I laugh too.

"But no matter how hard you tried, I wouldn't listen." I grin up at him.

"Stubborn."

"Arrogant." I shoot back.

"Clumsy."

I lean in to kiss him, he smirks, thinking he's won.

"Gullible." I say, just as our lips are about to meet, and I feel a terrible case of the giggles coming on.

"Tease!" He says, turning away from me 'hurt'. I can so tell he's faking it. I know he isn't gonna turn back around unless I make it up to him though. I huff and roll my eyes.

I crawl onto the other side of him, pretending to look apologetic.

"Okay..okay. Drama queen!" I giggle, trying to run but my healing leg is slowing me down, and I hobble along like a stupid one-legged pirate. I run off the little pier and to my right onto the sand. The sea stretches out before me, glowing like pools of moonlight as the deep sky reflects onto it, looking so delicate and amazing, that I find myself stopping to stare at it, awestruck. Damon is beside me, and I don't even have to look to know he's there.

"Wow. It's so beautiful." I breathe, looking out at the ocean that shines like spun silver.

"I know." He whispers. I turn to look at him, and lace our hands together, when I see he's actually looking at me, I blush like a moron headed idiot.

"I'm still caked in blood and sand, looking like 'The Mummy', and you actually think I look okay?" His eyes bore into mine, the colour of Lapis, so alight with happiness and life, and I see that he's serious. I nod my head quietly, and he laughs slightly, the sound that I call home.

"You need to learn to take compliments, Elena." He whispers, kissing my hand and giving me goosebumps.

We both sit on the sand together. I wonder where Stefan is now and how he's dealing with it, but I scrub the thought from my mind. _I'm safe. I'm happy. I'm with Damon. That's all that matters. _I think to myself, laying down. My mind starts to drift elsewhere, and I find myself beginning to fall asleep, when I sense Damon twitching on my left side, and I feel something about a fraction of an inch away from my face.

"Are you going to attempt to seduce an injured woman?" I say questioningly, without having to open my eyes I know he's leaning right over me.

"Do you want me to?" His voice is so dripping seductiveness, it gives me chills, and I hear him chuckling softly as he feels me tremble, our bodies just barely touching.

"Hey! No fair! You are far more superior than I am, especially with me in this state. I would rather you didn't play on my vulnerability right now, but..there you go. We are two completely different people, and whereas I may want to kiss you, you may want to eat me." I say, putting on my best serious expression and trying not to crack up at myself (the last time I did I was drinking a whole can of Coke, and it came spraying right out of my nostrils like some kind of sea monster/rabid chipmunk – so not attractive).

Damon laughs, and I love the way it's like echoing sunshine. I feel him moving from being over me, and then I'm being pulled into his arms as I open my eyes.

"Do you really think I would just..eat you?" Damon asks me, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"Just checking." I say, giving him a quick peck on the lips, and he knows I'm only joking.

I reach my hands down into the water, cupping it and washing my wounds.

"Here, let me." Damon says, scooping up some warm sea water in one hand, he pours it down my face onto the cut, and I close my eyes when he touches me, ever so softly as he smooths the hair back from my face.

"I'm not taking my eyes off of you."

I don't understand, and I look at him, opening my eyes again.

Damon takes my face in his hands.

"You are the most precious thing I have, Elena. And I will do _whatever_ it takes not to lose you." Damon kisses me, our lips brushing for hardly a minute, the sweetest of kisses that means such a lot to me.

"I love you so much." I whisper, truly I mean it.

"I love you more." He challenges. Clearly I had it coming for me.

"Oh really?" I say, raising a brow, just like he does, but he can't stay serious, as my impression of him leaves him in fits. Then Damon stops for a moment.

"Wait...you sounded like you were going to do something good." He says, annoyed at himself for laughing.

I smirk, knowing I've got him just where I want him.

"Well, if by good you mean I was going to tear my clothes off, run in slow motion to the end of the pier and do a sexy dive bomb into the water, then yeah."

"Oh sweet lord."

I laugh at him.

"Sucker!" And stagger to my feet, but he has his arms round me faster than I can say hot-vamp.

"Now you are definitely going in." He picks me up, and I squeal, trying to get away as he walks closer to the water.

"You wouldn't dare!" I say, only realising right after I say it, that it was just going to make him.

"Oh wouldn't I?" I watch as scared as Bambi as he pulls off his leather jacket. Oh crap. I am going in. He pulls of his shirt and shoes, and walks into the water. I try and escape but it's no use. I open my mouth to call Bonnie, or at least, someone, but then I don't bother. A random part of my mind starts to wonder. _Jeez, is it me, or is everyone taking their tops off for me today?_ And I know now that there is no way Damon would actually take his top off without some sort of payment, willingly or unwillingly. Now he is giving me a choice. Get my designer dress completely flooded, or strip. He knows what I will choose, and just as I feel his hands sliding from under me, I make a decision. I huff and I know he's smirking. I rip of my dress, and he takes of his black jeans and he throws me in, diving into the water. I curse silently. I was wearing my bra and panties. Which after this were now going to be completely see through. While he is still in his black swim shorts. Life's not fair, that is one thing I learnt from The Lion King. God I hate him and love him. How is that even possible?

**A/N: I've got some bad news! I'm going back to school on Monday, so I'm getting ready to be completely loaded down with homework, which totally sucks, but I will try and get all of it done so I can update, which I'm sad to say, is probably going to have to be cut down to twice a week (sniffs). I was going to call this chapter Life's Not Fair, but I changed my mind, which is strange 'cause you know how much I heart Lion King, which, FYI is being re-released in cinemas on October 7 yay, which is near my b-day (: !**


	7. Chapter 7 Bare As Bambi

**A/N: Thankyou so much for all the support and reviews, it really means a lot to me, also thank**

**you for the fake death-threats that made me laugh so much – you know who you are - (; - Leahlovessalvatore124!**

Chapter Seven – Bare As Bambi

I swim to the surface, gasping for air.

"Masochistic old man!"

He does that eye thing at me, and gives me a warning look.

"Do you really wanna try that again?"

"You tell me." I say. I wink at him, and he grabs me, pulling me into him. I can honestly swear I have never loved anyone as much as I love him.

"Whatever you do, I _will_ get you back." He sounds so seductive, I literally feel myself swoon in his arms. No moment in my life had ever felt as perfect as the moment I am in now. And I feel complete. I have him.

My eyes flick up at Damon, his have captured me like a bee to honey, and I can't seem to pull myself away. I don't want to. We both wrap our arms around each other, waist deep in the water, and as he claims my mouth, his lips taste salty, but I don't care. Nothing will distract me, even if a shark comes along and bites off my ass I won't care.

His touch sears my skin, everywhere burning with sweet hot desire as he hitches me up his waist, my legs tied around him as our bodies brush. We belong together, and I know he feels it too. I will do anything for him. Die a million times over and do it all over again and never stop loving him. This is the furthest we have ever gone, and I know that we both want to take it further. I don't refuse as we both undress each other in the water, sinking down so no one can see us, all I want is to be with him. I know this day had been going so fast that it feels like such a rush, I thought I wasn't ready, but I am. I love him plain and simple. His eyes shine like the sky at first light, and I can see this joyful excitement that ignites his eyes, and I know he's never felt more alive and loved than he feels in this moment, and I feel the same. Somehow the current takes us underneath the little pier, and I will be on guard, listening out for any sound that will interrupt us, but I guess I'm wrong. I hear footsteps on the old wooden pier above us, and I smile at how human he is, too involved and content and what we are doing to even begin to notice what is going on around us. Yes, I am the same, but I only notice because I'm the one who needs to pause to come up for breath.

"Damon..." I whisper, low enough so that only he can hear me. I'm so breathless and lovestruck, it's a wonder that I can even speak at all, let alone actually form coherent thoughts through the love mist in my brain, and actually voice them out loud.

"Wha.." He breaks off raggedly, as I point at the pair of large feet that I can see through the slats of wood on the pier above us. He unhooks himself from my lips, and I see that sly sexy smirk creep across his face that he knows I love. He's looking up at the figure above us like a cheeky little school boy, and I clasp a hand to my mouth in realisation. Oh my God. Is he crazy?

I duck my head under the water, getting ready to swim away, but it's already too late. He scoops me up into his arms, bridal style, Damon's eyes bright with excitement and amusement. I know mine are bright with horror, and, yes, embarrassment as he calls up to the figure, who I can see if I just tilt my head over a little bit, and now I have a view of the middle-aged looking man with fair sandy coloured hair who's looking drunkenly out to the ocean with a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a black and silver ring on the other hand. Oh crap. Alaric.

"Hey Ricky!"

Shit! I twist like a naked floppy fish in Damon's grip, trying to break free (we're sooaring..flyyying, there's not a star in heaven that we can't reach! If we're trying, so we're breaking free! Seriously, come on, who's not obsessed with our wonderfully fit and fabulous Troy Bolton). I give up as the vamp-hunter staggers around like a drunken loon looking for the person who called him, and I lay my hair over my breast, and turn away from him, trying to cover my nakedness, but it's too late. He has already seen us, and his mouth gapes wide open like a dead trout as Damon dunks me back in the water, and I flail about hooting. The half-moon shines against my naked skin, highlights it, and makes it look like liquid bronze.

"E..Elena...Damon?" He stammers, clearly thinking he's hallucinating, he snorts, and taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey, I watch stunned as he skips back to camp, seemingly muttering to himself.

"Pah..y..yeah right. Like Damon of all people could get a girl like her." He slurs, chuckles, snorts again, and falls to his knees, passing out. In a second he's snoring and kissing Tyler's face who is also sleeping.

"I..lu..yo..man." Alaric mumbles, nuzzling his head into the were-wolf's neck, and belching once. I giggle, partly at him, and partly at his earlier comment.

"Aw..you just got down-rated by your own boyfriend!" I say, sticking my lower lip out and teasing him.

"He is not my boyfriend!" He splutters, eyes widening.

"Are you not his type? I'm so sorry!" I say, trying to contain my laughter.

"Actually..I already have a girlfriend." He says, smiling a smile that makes me weak at the knees. My eyes widen in shock, and my heart hammers in my chest.

"Elena Gilbert, would you do me the pleasure of being my girlfriend?" He says, trying to make his face serious, but a small smile curls at the corners of his lips, as he takes my hand and kisses it once, chuckling when my heart skips a beat.

"The pleasure's all mine Damon Salvatore." I reply, and he kisses me so hard I can't even think straight. His arms wrap around me and all I can feel is how right and together we are, and the sheer passion that burns like a galaxy between us. My whole body tingles, right down to the tips of my toes.

He picks me up bridal style, and I giggle at how bare I am. Seriously, I mean, our friends are right over there..except Stefan, who is nowhere to be seen..

"Damon!" I scream, grabbing his shirt off of the floor as he takes me up onto the shore, and quickly buttoning it around me as Damon pulls on his jeans. I watch Caroline's head turn ever so slightly, and she smiles at me, just a small twitch of her lips that I think I'm seeing things as she suddenly lays motionless in a sleeping Tyler's arms next to Alaric. It's so obvious she approves of me and Damon. Well, at least that's one person on our side, she's always liked bad-boys.

I tiptoe cautiously past them, but Damon makes me squeal, and I end up sprawled across the sand laughing my ass off when he pulls me up off the floor.

"Wakey, wakey, rise and shine!" He sing songs, kicking Tyler and falling over as Alaric clings onto his foot like a limpet that wants a teddy-bear.

I laugh like a moron as this time it's Damon falling over, head first into the sand like one of them flamingo-bird thingies. I can't for the life of me remember what they are called. He pulls me down onto the sand with him. It's so peaceful and beautiful just to simply have his arms wrapped around me and to lay there with him that I almost loose myself. Our eyes flick at each other, and his lips crush mine, our fingers in each other's hair, and one of his hands on my back.

"Elena! Are you drunk? You're kissing the wrong brother!" I hear Bonnie screech from behind me, yanking us apart.

"Be with you in a minute," I say, not even bothering to look at her as I push her away onto the sand and she rolls down the hill like a little Bonbon-size roly-poly, screeching like a chicken as I carry on kissing my new boyfriend (gant - gasp and pant at the same time – crappy word, but who gives a darn) who seems to approve of my new attitude, and ignoring the frustrated little grunts coming from the bottom of the hill.

"I think we should actually..wake them up..or something, so we can all get going..and..sleep..some place..safe." I say, completely breathless, and Damon chuckles.

"You mean escape from Bonnie the mad witch bitch?" Damon asks.

I still nod, but tell him off.

"That might be a good idea, but you really shouldn't call her that." I say. He laughs and kisses my hair.

I gently nudge Caroline, who Damon doesn't know is secretly spying on us, and her eyes snap open straight away, she fake yawns before waking up Tyler who gets the fright of his life when he finds himself cuddled up with Ric. He screams like a girl jumping up straight away and shaking himself off as Alaric stirs dazedly.

"Oh..hey man." He says, smiling weakly, and starts to help me and Caroline pack-up the picnic stuff. Bonnie storms her way up the hill, looking like a sandy scare-crow, and Damon runs to hide behind me, practically crapping himself. He hates to admit it, but I can so totally tell that Bonnie scares him shitless.

"Elena Gilbert! Are you actually serious? Trading Stefan for..for that!" She says, and gestures to Damon who is a quivering shirtless mess behind me. I roll my eyes. This was typical Bonnie. I reckon she's more annoyed at me shoving her down the hill like a domino, than at mine and Stefan's break up, I reckon that's where all her anger has come from.

"I'm looking out for you, so don't roll your eyes at me, please." Bonnie says, frowns at Damon's shirt that I'm wearing, and dumps my clothes in a pile on the floor not far from my feet before she flounces off. Probably to do her hair. It looks like a birds nest, I think some sparrows have most likely laid their eggs in it, and they are already ready to hatch. She is such a huff-pot. Can't she just accept that I'm happy and, oh, I don't know..get over it?

I sigh, pick up the pile of clothes and go to change in Damon's car, making sure all the windows are shut, I unbutton the shirt, quickly whipping it off of me and I lay horizontally across the back seats, trying desperately to pull it up without hitting my head on the low ceiling, or without giving myself an unneeded wedgie right up the butt. I check to see if Damon's peeking through the window trying to see me bare as Bambi, which he most likely is, but my bum slides off the seat, I trip over my dress, and end up looking like a dog cocking its legs unattractively up a lamppost squealing, except it's not a lamp post, it's the front seat, and it's not exactly cocking, no, it's more like a handstand that fails, and now I look like a horse trying to belly-dance which is practically impossible. I yelp out, trying to untangle myself on my own. No such luck.

There is a knock on one of the windows.

"You okay 'Lena?" Oh crap it's Damon. If he sees me like this, wait, correction, if he has already seen me like this, with total seriousness, it will not be a turn on whatsoever, it will be a complete and utter turn-off.

"If you mean by okay, I have my head stuck in your gearbox, and I am about to die upside down because there is a terrible blood rush to my head and I look like a scary tomato, then yes, I am absolutely terrific." I say sarcastically, my voice just about audible. I can hear him laughing, he thinks I am kidding, which I am not. I just about manage an upside down huff, and I know without having to look that I have a double chin right now.

"Seriously..HELP!"


	8. Chapter 8 It's Mrs Salvatore Actually

**A/N: So sorry for the late update! I had writers block for a while, and I've been loaded down with soo much school work! Thankyou soo muchly for all of the reviews and alerts they mean so much to me! - Leahlovessalvatore124**

Chapter Eight – It's Mrs Salvatore Actually

On the plus side:

I have a new boyfriend.

I am now fully clothed, even though my boobs are slightly sagging because my bra is floating somewhere out to sea into the sunset arm in arm with Damon's swim shorts.

It was Caroline's idea to make the trip longer, as a celebration to the new 'couple styles' as she calls it. Bonnie is less enthusiastic.

On the minus side:

My vengeful ex-boyfriend has disappeared and is still on the loose and has raging temper-tantrum issues. I swear he is plotting evil Joker-like revenge on me right now, then Damon will have to swoop in all Bat-man and tight Lycra with Alaric as Robin. Now I am rambling. Well, you get the picture.

Bonnie is one cranky witch and is still keeping her trap shut. She has not said a word since she moaned off at me on one of her troll rants at the beach.

Other than that, my life is bloody fantastic.

Tyler and Caroline are driving in her car, for some alone space, Alaric is playing the protective step-father gag pretending he saw nothing earlier, and is tagging along with Jeremy and his pent-up puppy Bonnie, who goes where-ever he goes, with us in Damon's car. I am jumping for joy. I mean it, truly I do (no, I really don't. This is going to be awkward). I am secretly scared that Bonbon will give Damon a brain aneurysm (or whatever the hell it is, science, biology, whatever, has never been my strong point) and he will swerve off the road and the car will topple over and burst into flames, or something like that. My brother is giving her a back massage. I can see Damon is trying to restrain an eye-roll. I join him on that too.

"Hey, Jer..have you got some..aspirin or something?" She moans, and grinds her head into the back seat. He fluffs her hair like a skittish horse. I never have trouble watching my brother and Bonnie together, and now she was pulling some kind of sick stunt to ruin our holiday and my time with Damon? I snort. No way.

I see Damon look at me from the corner of his eye, and his lips curl up at the corners a little. I raise my hand to thump him, but he tuts at me, and raises one finger off of the wheel, waggling his finger at me.

"Ah ah ah, not while I'm driving." He says, smiling a seductive smile at me that makes my heart melt. '_Later_'it seems to say. I blush and smile back at him.

"No! No way Damon!" I hear Ric whine from the back seat, and when I turn around to answer him, I see that he's actually talking in his sleep, jerking around like a mad person. And then the whole car is erupting into madness. Jeremy's cooing at Bonnie like a freakin' bird trying to calm her down as she gurgles like a sea-hag, I'm collapsing in fits of laughter, and Alaric is having a sleeping hissy fit in the back of the car and saying:

"No...Y..ou're fit..n all, but I..like..you as a friend."

Damon can't help cracking into a grin, but at the same time somehow manages to keep his eyes on the road, and his hands on the wheel.

"Baby, that was a one night stand! I..I..want Stefan!"

Damon hits the brakes. He speeds over to Alaric and slaps him square across the face.

"But cupcake, we were so good together!" He squealed in a high Alvin-the-chipmunk-like voice, clapping his hands and skipping/prancing back to the front of the car and setting it back into gear as Alaric rubs his eyes and murmurs, slurring something about 'wheeere did allll the muunchkins go'? Bonnie was still groaning like a grandma who just realised she ate her stuffed cat because she didn't go to Specsavers.

"I think I've got some medicine some..where.." I say, digging into my bag for some aspirin.

"Here, knock yourself out." I say, not even bothering to look as I fling the white box somewhere onto the back seat and lean my head out of the window.

"She says thanks." Jeremy says to me. I frown. This was soo childish!

I huff, about to open my mouth to say something, but Damon gets in there first.

"She can't hear you Sabrina." Damon cups a hand to his ear, as if he's waiting for an apology. I look at Bonnie. She's got that look on her face, in her flaring nostrils and her scary eyes. The look that says 'the mad cow is about to be milked'.

The hotel is breathtakingly beautiful, all huge stone pillars and white marble, ivy twining up one side. Jeremy and Damon got the luggage out of the trunk. The others had grabbed a couple of things just in case we would be doing an overnighter. Ric had packed Damon and Stefan's stuff, with Bonnie and Caroline packing my stuff. I thought that was pretty sweet of them. Apparently Bonnie had sensed something, who knows. We all walked up the sweeping stone staircase, and the only bag that was left in the car was Stefan's gear. He would probably come get it later, either way I didn't want to think about it.

The place where we're staying is set on a small village resort at the top of a small cliff, overlooking the beach. The smart lady at reception gives us a once over before handing us a set of keys to our rooms.

"Miss Gilbert?" She asks questioningly.

I nod.

"You have a message from..Mr and Mrs Lockwood," The young woman reads off a little pink post-it that's stuck to her laptop screen. I can feel my face break out into a wide moon shaped grin.

"They are situated in room 146, and your rooms are already booked just across the hall. Goodnight, and I wish you a pleasant stay."

She says smoothly, a tight smile on her face. I laugh as we take the keys and start to walk out of the lobby, when I suddenly turn back.

"Oh, it's Mrs Salvatore, actually." I tell her seriously, before running after Damon and Jeremy with Bonnie, who's clutching her stomach. I laugh loonishly at Damon's randomly surprised expression, and then he shrugs, putting the key into the lock and twisting the door open.

"Fine by me." He smirks, throwing our two bags into the room, not bothering to look where they bounce off to, and then his eyes land on me. He picks me up bridal style, carrying me over the threshold. I giggle as our lips meet, his arms winding around the small of my back, and mine around his neck. Damon kicks the door shut, locking the whole rest of the world out so that it's just us in our own little bubble, our own void of happiness. I don't think anything could ruin this moment..

"Da..mon..darling..where do I sleep! I don't wanna be a loner!" There is a frustrated little Ricky-sized drunk huff outside the door, and then some frantic steps down the hall, and a door slamming.

Damon chuckles, hitching my legs up his hips and throwing us both onto the bed. My head hits the wooden headboard.

"Ow!" I yelp, laughing at the same time. I'm such a klutz it's almost unbelievable.

"Elena? Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?" Damon says, placing a hand to my face, inspecting me to see if I've broken anything.

"No..no, I didn't say that.." I tell him quickly.

My voice trails off at his twinkling laughter. Damon pins my arms behind my head and kisses every inch of me.

"Humans..so breakable and so clumsy." He mutters and shakes his head.

I whack him playfully.

I smile and he pulls the covers over the both of us.


	9. Chapter 9 Mop Head

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long I've been piled down with homework and essays and..enough with the excuses. - Leahlovessalvatore124

Chapter Nine – Mop Head 

When I wake up after amazing dreams of Damon, he's still sleeping..I think. I almost let out a startled little snort at where I am lying. Butt-naked on Damon's bare-chest. I do a half twist to look at him, and he looks so human, so peaceful and happy that a lump forms in my throat. And his hair's all curly..aw..since when did it go all curly! I remember Stefan telling me about how they used to look way back when the K-bitch was around, and that Damon had hair like this. I twist a ringlet round my little finger. He still doesn't move. Jeez, are vampires seriously that dead to the world when they sleep? No..er, pun intended. I reach down slowly, putting a hand to either side of his face and pressing my lips to his only for a second. When I pull back I can see one of his eyes squinting , and then they both pop open and I watch giggling as he jumps. I think he has forgotten about what happened, but instead he surprises me..

"Crap my hair!" He yells, covering it with his hands. I flop back onto the covers. That I was not expecting. I carry on laughing, but then stop suddenly, realising that if I laughed things would just end up rippling over in my naked state, need I mention what?

I gently prise his hands off. He has no idea how unbelievably cute he looks.

"I think it suits you." I say, grinning and resting my head back on his chest. As soon as I touch him, he sighs in relief. He is still not used to that.

"I always wondered what you looked like..but now I know." I smile up at him, and I lose myself in his eyes. He pulls me down next him and kisses me so passionately that it's making my head swim and I can't be bothered to come up for air. His hands trace the small of my back. And my whole world feels as if it's exploding around me and he's the only thing that I can cling onto, that is my comfort, my home, my reality. And then..

Damon's phone buzzes on the side table.

He rolls his eyes, grabbing it in one second flat, checking the message, then flinging it down again before climbing on top of me.

"Wh..what..was..that..all about?" I breathe out.

"Ricky wants to meet at the beach. Scooby and Barbie are already there, Judgy and.." He paused, frowning.

"What's wrong?" I trail a hand down his cheek, stroking it with my thumb.

"I don't have nickname for your brother!"

I slap him playfully and he chuckles, throwing a pillow at me.

"Dracula!" I yell, and even though it is muffled by the cushion stuffed in my face, I know he hears me. When I push it off, he's ready, wrestling me beneath him.

I pretend to think about something.

"Hmm..or should I call you mop-head or black-locks?" I laugh.

When we get to the beach, Damon's hair no longer looks like a wild beast, he has tamed it and it is now on a leash even though I begged him to leave it.

"Damon, can I have a word?"

Alaric starts to get to his feet, wiping the sand off of his Hawaii flower patterned shorts and squinting his eyes.

"Yeah, sure Ricky." Damon says, reaching down to kiss my hand, seeming satisfied when my heart races like I've just been electrocuted and goosebumps show up on my arms, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end making me look like some kind of alien bird. He gives it one last squeeze and then pads across the sand with Ric. I have a sneaking suspicion that they are about to have a weird, 'you're dating my kinda sorta daughter and if you hurt her I swear I will hit you where it hurts' talk. I hope I'm not getting in the way of their bromance.

Bonnie is sitting in Jeremy's arms, reading a magazine wearing humongous sunnies that make her look like a buggish bumble-bee.

I don't say a word as I plonk my my butt down next to her, and Buggy is the first one to break the silence after Jeremy slips off down to the sea because he can sense a cat fight in the air, down to Caroline and Tyler who are frolicking (that is a weirdish funny word that I have never used before ever in my life and don't intend to use again. Ever.) and splashing about like a bunch of goofs in the water.

"Elena, I just wanted to apologise for what I said, for the way I acted, it wasn't me."

Bonnie says, taking my hands in hers.

I huff, I know I have to say sorry too.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you said you were ill, that I rolled my eyes at you when you were just trying to be a good friend, and also for pushing you down a hill." _Even though it was double-chin-laughingly funny._ I add in my head. Bonnie smiles at me as we hug and make up.

It was about ten minutes later when Damon came blurring towards me, smiling like a goon, a really, really cute goon. I curl up happily next to him, and soon enough everyone is around us, Jeremy runs up screeching and me collapsing in another state of fat wobbling giggles because he has a huge red crab dangling off his, well, you know, dangler, and Tyler comes up running hand in hand with Caroline who is desperately trying to fish some sea weed out of her bikini bra, and Tyler is ogling her boobs, and doesn't notice Damons foot stuck out in-front of him and he does a classic face plant into the sand, spitting loads of it out of his mouth.

"Hey Lockwoof. Looking like a wet dog much?"

"Shut up fang-face." He says.

"Ooh ooh ooh!" Damon says, his voice going all high and making Tyler red in the face. Alaric comes bounding over with a beach ball tucked under his arm.

"Any one for volleyball?"


End file.
